As part of the course-workshop organized by the Ibero-American Network of Health-Promoting Universities, a session titled “Latin American Perspectives on Life Skills” was held. The session focused on sharing experiences regarding the development of life skills in educational settings, a key issue for health promotion in the region.
The meeting featured the participation of two experts from the Proinapsa Institute at the Industrial University of Santander – UIS: Professor Blanca Patricia Mantilla Uribe, director of the Institute, and Nury Constanza Guerrero Parra, M.A., the Institute’s project coordinator. They shared the results of a process carried out between 2009 and 2013 in educational institutions in the Engativá neighborhood of Bogotá, aimed at strengthening psychosocial skills and healthy habits among the school population.
This initiative, based on the EDEX Foundation’s educational program “La aventura de la vida” (The Adventure of Life), brought together efforts from public entities, international cooperation, and academia, with the aim of promoting psychosocial life skills in children through pedagogical strategies implemented by teachers in the classroom.
The project successfully engaged more than 800 teachers and educational institutions, consolidating a training process that included professional development, classroom support, evaluation, and research evidence.
One of the study’s key findings was a significant improvement in students’ psychosocial skills, particularly in the cognitive and social dimensions related to self-awareness, decision-making, and social interaction. These gains were made possible by the participation of teachers, who focused their efforts on strengthening self-respect and interpersonal relationships.
However, the study also highlighted significant challenges, particularly in strengthening emotional skills and adopting healthy habits, which depend largely on external factors such as the family and social environment.
The virtual space provided an opportunity to reflect on the importance of integrating these skills across educational processes, as well as the challenges of implementing them in the university setting, highlighting the role of universities as key venues for promoting these skills and contributing to the holistic development of students.
Finally, the speakers emphasized that health promotion must be understood from a capabilities-based approach, aimed not only at preventing risks but also at strengthening skills that enable people to function healthily in their daily lives.
Esta participación reafirma el compromiso de Proinapsa y la UIS con la promoción de la salud, el trabajo colaborativo en redes académicas internacionales y la transformación de prácticas educativas en favor de la salud y el bienestar.
